A distance measurement apparatus includes an imaging lens configured to form an image of an object on an imaging plane, a solid-state image sensor configured to acquire an image based on light flux passing through a plurality of areas different from each other in an exit pupil of the imaging lens, and a calculation unit configured to calculate a distance based on a signal acquired from the solid-state image sensor. The calculation unit includes a processing unit configured to acquire a first signal in a first imaging condition by using the solid-state image sensor, a processing unit configured to acquire a second signal in a second imaging condition different from the first imaging condition by using the solid-state image sensor, and a processing unit configured to calculate a base length and a distance based on the first signal and the second signal.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A distance measurement apparatus comprising: an imaging lens configured to form an image of an object; a solid-state image sensor configured to acquire an image based on light flux passing through a plurality of areas different from each other in an exit pupil of the imaging lens; and a calculation unit configured to calculate a distance based on a signal acquired from the solid-state image sensor, wherein the calculation unit comprises: a processing unit configured to acquire a first signal in a first imaging condition by using the solid-state image sensor; a processing unit configured to acquire a second signal in a second imaging condition different from the first imaging condition by using the solid-state image sensor; and a processing unit configured to calculate a base length which is an interval between the plurality of areas in the exit pupil and a distance based on the first signal and the second signal.
2. The distance measurement apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first imaging condition and the second imaging condition are set such that imaging is performed in a condition that the base length and the distance are substantially equal, and geometric optics arrangement of the object, the imaging lens, and the solid-state image sensor are configured to be capable of calculating the base length and the distance.
3. The distance measurement apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first imaging condition and the second imaging condition are different in a focal length of the imaging lens.
4. The distance measurement apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first imaging condition and the second imaging condition are different in a focus position of the imaging lens.
5. The distance measurement apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first imaging condition and the second imaging condition are different in a position of the solid-state image sensor.
6. The distance measurement apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the base length is calculated from at least three signals having different imaging conditions.
7. The distance measurement apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the base length is stored in a memory, and a value of the base length is used to calculate a distance in next imaging.
8. The distance measurement apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a distance and an image of the object are configured to be acquirable at the same time by using the imaging lens and the solid-state image sensor.
9. A camera comprising the distance measurement apparatus according to claim 1 .
10. A distance measurement method comprising: forming an image of an object by an imaging lens; acquiring an image based on light flux passing through a plurality of areas different from each other in an exit pupil of the imaging lens by a solid-state image sensor; and measuring distance of the object by an image displacement amount of the image which is detected by the solid-state image sensor and a base length which is an interval between the plurality of different areas in the exit pupil, wherein measuring the distance m comprises: acquiring a first signal which acquires an image displacement amount in a first imaging condition by using the solid-state image sensor; acquiring a second signal which acquires an image displacement amount in a second imaging condition different from the first imaging condition by using the solid-state image sensor; and calculating a base length which is an interval between the plurality of areas in the exit pupil by using the first signal and the second signal, and measuring the distance information of the object from a relationship between the image displacement amount and the base length.
11. The distance measurement method according to claim 10 , wherein the first imaging condition and the second imaging condition are set such that the base length and the distance to the object are substantially equal, and the base length is calculated from geometric optics arrangement of the object, the imaging lens, and the solid-state image sensor to measure the distance of the object.
12. The distance measurement method according to claim 10 , wherein the first imaging condition and the second imaging condition are different in a focal length of the imaging lens.
13. The distance measurement method according to claim 10 , wherein the first imaging condition and the second imaging condition are different in a focus position of the imaging lens.
14. The distance measurement method according to claim 10 , wherein the first imaging condition and the second imaging condition are different in a position of the solid-state image sensor.
15. The distance measurement apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the base length is calculated from at least three signals having different imaging conditions.
16. The distance measurement method according to claim 10 , wherein the base length is stored in a memory, and a value of the base length is used to calculate a distance in next imaging.
17. The distance measurement method according to claim 10 , wherein the distance information and the image of the object are acquired at the same time by using the imaging lens and the solid-state image sensor.
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January 23, 2013
May 31, 2016
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